Vehicle-top.



C. E. TITCHENER. VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, I915.

1,172,643. Patented Feb. 221916;,

nnnnnnnnnn nalNLlHnn wAsmmlnn o c CHARLES E. 'rIroHENnR, or BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22,, 1916.

Application filed February 26,1915. Serial No. 10,822.

To all whom, 2'25 may concern: Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. Tirorm- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, haveinvented-certain new and useful Improvements in Vehiple-Tops, of which the following is especifica'tion.

'This invention relates to vehicle tops.

The present invention relates to that general class of vehicletops commonly known as one-man tops, the construction belng such that a single person may fold or extend the top without assistance. 'Tops of this class are particularly adapted for use on automobiles, as they render unnecessary the use of supporting bows at the sides of the front seat of the car.

My object is to provide an improved onemantop, or bow socket construction for oneman tops, Whichwill fold in compact condition in relation to the rear bow sockets; will be very stiff when extended so as to have amaximum rigidity and may be quickly andeasily extended or folded,

The present invention consists, first, of a double or trussed link or lever and its novel.

combination with forwardly and upwardly extending bow sockets; more specifically in the provision of a stop in the construction just recited, which cooperates with the short upwardly extending bow. socket to assist in maintaining the long or extension bow or how socket in its proper position; second, in spring'means combined with the structure adapted to act as a balancing spring to make it easier to fold or put up the top; and third, an improved combination of bow sockets, struts, spring lever-and stop, mutuallycooperating to provide animproved one-man top construction.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is'a side elevation showing the top up; Fig. 2, a detail side view showing the invention folded; Fig. 3, a detail'showing the slot in the mainbrace 0r strut;- Fig. *1, a similar view showing the slot of the supplemental brace or strut; Fig. 5, a detail perspective showing the double construction of the lever and-the way in which the short bow socket pivoted thereto; and Figs. 6 and 7, detail views of modifications.

' The main or upright bow socket 1 may be- {not fiex or, bend in any direction.

' 2, instead of being directly connected to bow socket 1, is connected thereto by a lever or link at which is composed of two parts, making it; double and of trussed construction (Fig. 5) which is very rigid and prevents swaying or displacement of the top when extended. The link or lever l is pivoted at 5, preferably by a rivet, to the bracket or iron 6 which is secured to the bow socket 1, the bracket 6 being preferably provided with a big 7 for this purpose. The rear end of the bow socket 2 and the forward end of the double link or lever 1 are curvedor off-' set upwardly asat 8 and are pivoted together, as by a rivet, at 9, the solid, rear end of the bow socket 2 being received between the parts of the double link 1. The up wardly extending parts 8 dispose the pivotal point 9 upwardly from the line of pivots, as will presently appear. thus rendering it possible to easily break said joint and fold the top, while also practically preventing accidental breaking of this joint. The

lower, solid end of the bow socket 3 is flattened as at 10, andis received between the members of the double link and pivoted as bv a rivet thereto at 11. which may be a rivet, bridges the links -l and serves as a rest for the solid part 10 when the top is extended. thereby holding the extension bow socket 2 in its proper position and affording rigidity. in view ofthe construction and arrangement of the braces or struts and because the trussed link will I employ double supporting braces consisting of a main brace 12 and a supplemental brace 13. The main brace 12 is pivoted. as by a rivet, to the solid portion 8 of the. extension bow socket 2 at 1%. The rear end of the main brace 12 is pivoted by a slot-and-pin con- A stop 11" 3 is arrested'l iy, and rests on the stop 11*,

when the top ls up, the bow socket 3 is held rigidly and sustains the extension bow action of the braces 12 and 13, affords great rigidity.

As thus far described, the invention is complete and operative and I claim it as such, but I have found that the top may be raised and lowered with greater ease if a spring, such as shown at 19, be employed. p This spring is of the contractile COll type whose upper end is anchored to the bracket 6, as for instance, by engagement with the pivot pin 15 and whose lower end engages a stud 20 at a suitable point on the link it. This spring acts as a balancing spring which, by its contraction, assists in the raising of connection with the bracing and supporting the top, and, by its contractile tendency by offering a certain resistance to the folding of the top, prevents too sudden. collapse thereof. At the samevtime, however, the spring is so arranged that when the parts are folded, as shown in Fig. 2, thepull of the spring is through the pivot 5;,and consequently, the spring does not snapthe parts upwardly or materially assist in extending the top until the latter has been started by manual operation from the folded position of Fig. 21

A locking pin or. stud 21 projecting freely "from the inside of one part of the double link 4, and an eye-bracket 22 on the bow socket 1 which is adapted to enter in between the parts of link 4 and receive said stud, provide means for locking'the parts in collapsed position, as shown in Fig. :2.

In Fig 6, I have shown'a modification wherein the main brace or strut l2 is upwardly inclinedv and pivoted at 6 to bow 1 below the lever 4. The bow socket 3 is not pivoted to lever 4, but is pivoted at 11 to strut or brace 12. Strut or brace 13 is pivoted to bow socket 2 and bow socket 3".

" In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the main brace or strut is entirely dispensed with. In this form. the short bow socket 3,

.brace 13. lever 4 and bow socket 2 are all arranged and connected as in the form shown 1n Fig. l. The fabric 25 of the top assists in sustaining the parts and while the structure is not as rigid as that of Fig. 1,

'it is a practical one.

Having thus described my invention; what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-. ters Patent, is:

1. In a vehicle top, the combination with a double or trussed pivoted link or lever comprising connected members arranged side by side, of a forwardly extending bow socket or member pivoted to saidlink or lever. an upwardly extending bow socket or member pivoted to the double or trussed link or lever in between the parts thereof, and a stop support or rest for engaging the upwardly extending bow socket 01" member with the double or trussed link or lever.

2. In a vehicle top, the combination with a pivoted link ,or lever, of aforwardly extending. bow socket or member pivoted to said link .or lever, an upwardly extending bow socket or member pivoted to the link ,or lever, a double supporting brace or strut comprising two'independent braces, one of which is pivoted to the extension bow socket or member and the other being pivoted to the upwardly extending bow socket or member and to the forwardly extending bow socket or member, and a spring cooperating with the link or lever adapted to lift the said link or lever and thereby assist in the extension of the aforesaid parts.

3. Inavehicle top,.- the combination with an upwardly extending foldable main bow socket, of a foldable extension top support comprising a link or lever pivoted to the aforesaid bow socket, a forwardly extending or extension bow socket pivoted to the link or lever, a main brace or strut pivoted to the forwardly extending bow socket and also to the upwardly extending bow socket aforesaid, an upwardly extending foldable-bow socket pivoted to the link or lever. a supplemental brace or strut pivoted to the, upwardly extending bow socket, last-named and also to the forwardly extending bow socket, means for supporting the upwardly extending bow socket from the link or lever, and a balancing contractile coil spring connected to the link or lever and the main bow socket. said parts being so an "anged. that the main and supplemental braces sustain the extension top support aforesaid when the parts are raised and said parts being adapted to fold or collapse alongside of the main bow socket.

i. In a vehicle top. the combinationwith a main bow socket, of a top support comprising a double or trussed link or lever pivoted to the main bow socket, and a latch comprising an eye-bracket on the main bow socket adapted to enter the space between the parts of the double link. and a pin carried on the inside of said double link adapt ed to enter said eye-bracket.

In a vehicle top, the combination with main upright bow sockets or members having brackets provided with lugs, of for wardly extendingflouble trussed links or tween the members thereof and constituting 10 "levers, each comprlsing a pair of connected a forward extension arena trussed links or mernbers arranged side by side constituting levers. z a rigid strut adapted to resist lateral flexing, In testimony whereof I afiix my signaswaying and displacement, the members of ture in presence of two witnesses.

each pair of links or levers being pivoted to CHARLES E. TITCHENER. the respective lugs on opposite sides thereof, Witnesses:

and a bow having its ends jointed to the N. A. BOYD,

respective double trussed links or leversbe- ANNA F. GUILFOYLE.

Gopiesot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, 20.0. 

